


After The Storm

by Ambrose



Series: Protest AU [2]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, unexpected sequel to the protest au i wrote before
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-16
Updated: 2016-11-16
Packaged: 2018-08-31 10:53:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8575549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ambrose/pseuds/Ambrose
Summary: Anya and Raven try to distract themselves from the protests happening outside, which they've just escaped.
[sequel to Rebels]





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RatherCharmingVermin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RatherCharmingVermin/gifts).



Anya makes a giant pot of coffee, and they settle on Niylah's small couch. Or rather, she rummages around her friend's dvds, looking for something they could watch together, while Raven gets settled on the couch. Her leg's clearly giving her pains, but she's trying her best not to show it, and Anya wonders whether that's a daily occurrence or if it's just a result of today's forced pace and exhaustion. 

After a good five minutes of looking at the shelves without finding anything Raven doesn't call "crappy" or a variation thereof, Anya turns back towards her. "Okay, Princess, maybe you should pick then!"

"Doesn't she have Lord of the Rings or something? I mean, we can agree on _that one_  at least, right?"

Anya laughs. "I was trying to spare you that." 

Raven looks confused, but Anya quickly finds the DVD and puts it in the player before she settles herself next to Raven. She's probably closer than she really needs to be, but she won't even pretend she's not doing it on purpose. 

As she DVD starts, Raven wonders, "won't it wake up your friend, though?"

"Nah, don't worry, she's the soundest sleeper I've ever seen. We could throw a party and she wouldn't realize."

"Speaking from experience?" Raven smiles. 

"Well, I never actually tried. Now that you suggest it, maybe I should," Anya laughs. "No, but she works in the ER, and she's always proudly saying how easily she falls asleep whenever she has the time, and her colleague has to shake her up to wake her because no noise will do it. So really."

"I guess it's a blessing," Raven mumbles. They can hear noise coming from the protest outside, and it's not really reassuring. But the movie starts, and they up the volume to mask the most of it. They got out, and right now that's all they could do. Well, maybe Anya could have gotten back out, but she doesn't exactly take pleasure in getting the shit beat out of her. Besides, she doesn't think Niylah would like her to do that - and leave alone the stranger she brought. Not to mention spending time with Raven seems like the best use of her time, right now. 

She can't help the running commentary on the movie though, and if Raven soon finds out that she's a book nerd with strong opinions on the movie trilogy, she doesn't seem to mind. In fact, she joins in with her own comments, and it turns into more of a sass-off than a movie night. Which it isn't supposed to be in the first place, but nevermind that. She can tell Raven slowly unwinds from the stress of the protest and the shock of getting hit. She didn't say anything not to make her feel too self-conscious, but she could see her shivering before. As it is, though, a warm mug of coffee in her hands, and wrapped in one of the covers Niylah always leaves on her couch, Raven seems very comfortable, and it's a sight that warms Anya's heart. It's silly, but it feels quite homey, right now. Even if it isn't her own home. It's never come to her mind before - probably because she doesn't generally let people make themselves at ease at her own place, she makes them leave before morning - but she wouldn't mind seeing a burrito of a Raven on her own couch. Possibly even on a recurring basis. 

She doesn't think she stands half a chance, though. For all they've joked of her being Raven's knight in shining armour, things don't generally work like that in real life. And she's just done the decent thing. Not that any of that matter, because chances are the flirting was just a game and Raven was actually straight. It's certainly easier to know where you stand when you pick someone up in a gay bar, but it's not like Anya had planned this one. Fair enough, she _did_ notice Raven was stunning right when she bumped into her, but that's not at all why she helped her. There were more pressing concerns than who she could get laid with next. Like the cops coming after them and the risk of getting trampled. Now, though...

Her thoughts are interrupted by none other than Raven, who's decided, after some thinking and trying out different positions, that the best way for her to rest was with her head on Anya's lap. She looks up to her all innocently and Anya's pretty sure she needs to revise all assumptions that Raven may be straight. 

It seems in all honesty that she asks, "you don't mind? It's just, that seems like the most practical way to rest my leg."

"Suit yourself," Anya mumbles. 

For all that she probably sounds grumpy, Raven doesn't make a move to get back up. She just turns herself to watch the tv, and Anya absentmindly runs her hands in Raven's hair. She's certainly not about to point out that Raven could've just put her feet up on the coffee table. For all that it wouldn't be polite in other circumstances, Niylah would have understood. But no, Anya certainly won't protest.

Niylah gets up before the end of the movie to get ready for her night shift, and she looks at them with a knowing smile, but Anya does her best to ignore her. 

"Good night!" Niylah finally says as she leaves, "Don't do anything stupid while I'm not here to fix it!" and then she's gone. 

"Why would she say that?" Raven grumbles jokingly. "We're perfectly reasonable adults." 

"I'm not, and she knows it. And you didn't exactly give her the best impression."

"What, because of the bloody face or coming here with you?"

Anya can't help laughing. "Both, I think."

After that, they fall back into a companionable silence, punctuated by the occasional comment on the movie. When it ends, they find themselves unwilling to move to put on the next one. They end up talking instead. Anya learns more about her. She's studying mechanics, with a specialty in astrodynamics. Anya isn't sure she understands all Raven says when she becomes excited and talk as much with her hands as with her mouth, but it certainly sounds fascinating. She wants to go to space one day, even though she knows she has almost no chance, because of her leg. It seems that "almost" isn't going to stop Raven any time soon, and Anya admires her for it. 

She's pretty sure she sees Raven blushing when she tells her that, even in the darkness of the room, now only illuminated by the dvd's menu screen. Actually, Frodo is staring at them, and it gets on her nerves, so she turns on the small light that stands besides the couch, and she reaches for the remote to turn off the tv.

Her movements must make Raven think she's no longer welcome in her lap, because she sits up suddenly - looking all sleepy and cute, still wrapped up in her cover - and Anya knows she can't really say it, that's sound horribly needy, but she feels the loss and is suddenly cold. 

So she goes to reheat the coffee instead, and when she's handed Raven her mug and settled back down, against all expectations, Raven leans against her shoulder, as if they've known each other forever. And Anya somehow doesn't mind that this girl has no sense of personal space.

They start talking again, and the conversation flows like they've known each other for years. It's fully dark out now, and they can still hear the sounds of the protest in the distance, but it feels like they're in this small cocoon of peace. They're whispering, although there's no real reason to, they're alone, after all, but it just feels right.

Anya never asks why Raven was in the protest. It doesn't take a genius to see why a hispanic, disabled, quite possibly gay woman would want to be out on the streets when all her rights are about to be taken away, and besides, she seems like the kind of person to get involved regardless, because there's a fight that needs fighting. She assumes Raven draws her own conclusions on why she was there, because she doesn't ask either. 

They talk of serious things, and some less serious; they talk and laugh and Anya feels for the first time in a long time that she's found someone who really _gets_  her, and with whom she could get along. Whom she wouldn't mind dating, actually. They talk a lot, and it gets late, and sometimes she loses track of what Raven is saying because she finds herself staring at her lips and wondering how inappropriate it would be to kiss her, right now. She hopes Raven thinks she's just tired, but it seems that she caught her, because the third time it happens, Raven just stops speaking, a small smile playing on her lips, and when Anya looks up into her eyes she's pretty sure she sees a dare of some kind there. 

So she takes it. She raises her hand to caress Raven's cheek and when she sees no protestation in her eyes, only desire and a touch of mischief, she leans forward and kisses her. 

In retrospect she should have expected to take control from here, and nip at her lower lip. Anya smiles into the kiss. Oh, so that's how it's gonna be! It's not quite a fight for dominance Anya's had with certain competitive partners, and previous partners is the last thing Anya wants to have in mind right now. It's teasing instead, sweet and playful, and yet soon enough, she is straddling Raven, and she finds herself wanting to keep doing that - to keep kissing her, never stopping, thinking of nothing else but Raven and her lips against her and her body under her. From slow and exploring, it gets more messy, almost feverish, and Raven moans softly into the kiss.

But the outside world they'd all but forgotten manages to burst their little bubble, by way of more sirens and shouts from down the street, and they pull away, looking at each other like two teenagers who almost just got caught. Anya gets off of her sits back next to her on the couch. Raven doesn't make much of a move to get away from her, though; instead she scoots closer and she just rests her forehead against Anya's.

"That kinda ruins the mood, doesn't it?" she chuckles. Anya can hear it in her voice that she's still out of breath a bit. 

She smiles softly, even though she knows Raven can't see it. "Makes you feel guilty we're here enjoying ourselves while whatever the hell's happening there..."

Raven nods. "Not that... we can do much else from here..." she answers pensively. 

Anya knows she's right. There will be other protests to march in, other times to get gassed, and she wouldn't be much help to the people out there right now. It'd only earn her a night in jail, or worse. And besides, Niylah would kill her. Still, it feels almost obscene now to go back to kissing each other, when they can hear what's happening and it's clearly not getting better. She assumes the fight moved further down the street before coming back here, and it's been a couple hours now, and it doesn't look like it's going to quiet any time soon. It feels like a cold shower. 

So they decide to calm down. Anya goes looking through Niylah's music for something that'll just get their minds off what's going on outside, and they try to settle down on the couch to grab a bit of sleep. It's small, and not quite comfy, and to be quite honest Anya could suggest either of them take Niylah's bedroom, she won't be there for the next twelve or so hours anyways, but when Raven lies down on top of her and snuggles against her, her head in the crook of Anya's neck, and pulls the covers on top of them both, Anya's really not complaining that there's not enough space on the couch. Even if she knows she'll probably regret it in the morning. 

It's the most comfortable she's been with someone in a really long time. Anya just doesn't usually do cuddles. Sex is something she enjoys, but she doesn't let people stick around, and she rarely sees them twice. This, though, this is different. Nevermind that she was just about to have sex with a complete stranger on her friend's couch, she's quite happy to just lie there cuddling with her, And maybe that should scare her, maybe that should make her feel like she has to be more careful what she does, because she certainly doesn't want to ruin it, but she and Raven just seem to click, and for the first time it feels like her sister's advice to "be yourself" might just actually work. Lexa's been trying to convince her to settle for ages now, but Anya's never really cared to listen. It just wasn't right for her. But now? It might be, she reflects as she falls asleep, lulled by Raven's steady breathing. If she manages to keep her around longer than til morning.


End file.
